L'vionak
by EpicFangirl46
Summary: Yassen never told anyone how he felt about the Riders. But his actions speak volumes about his feelings. For SpyFest 2019 Week 2.


**Prompt: "There's one secret everyone takes to the grave."**

* * *

Ever since Yassen Gregorovich had first laid eyes on Alex Rider, he knew who his father was. Hunter. His mentor, his idol, the closest thing he had to family. Alex was the spitting image of Hunter. The brown eyes, the fair skin, the way he moved, his unnatural luck. The hair though. The hair was different. Alex had fair hair. Dark, too dark to call blonde, but too light to call brown. There was evidence of his father's brown hair but lighter, almost as if someone had mixed Hunter's dark hair with a lighter color, like Yassen's blonde, to create Alex's dirty blonde. From his mother no doubt. Yassen had met her only once, and by accident. He had run into her outside of a supermarket, turning around to apologise to see Hunter standing there.

_"Excuse me ma'a- Hunter?"_

_"Cossack. Allow me to introduce my wife, Helen. I would appreciate it if you didn't mention this to _anybody. _Especially at _work_."_

_"Of course, of course. It's nice to meet you Helen."_

_"You too, Cossack. I've heard so much about you."_

_"If you don't mind me asking, when are you due?"_

_"Two months."_

_"Congratulaions, you two."_

Yassen ignored Alex's shadow at Herod Sayle's Complex. Ignored the point of fair hair that poked out like a branch. Yassen instead walked up to the box that had been dropped inspecting it once again for leaks before warning the other worksmen not to make a mistake or they may end up like their deceased friend. Leaving his back turned for unnecessary seconds to give Alex moments to slip away, without the young boy ever noticing. Sayle berated him for hours once Alex's cover had been blown, but Yassen smiled on the inside. Hunter's family was safe.

Yassen spared Alex's life on top of that building, turning to kill Sayle instead. His demeanor may have been calm and collected. Cold, to those who observed him from the outside. On the inside he could only think of the man he once knew. The man whom he thought of and loved as a brother, and the debts owed. Debts that never were paid. Debts that seemed to grow after some tasks. Like after he killed Ian. Hunter's brother. Yassen had been quiet, silently asking for forgiveness. It very well could have been his life instead had he not shot Ian. Now he could only think, _I did not know this would catapult little Alex into danger._ For that's what Alex was to Yassen, little Alex. Yassen could remember getting an unmarked postcard with baby pictures of Hunter's son, the words _Alexander Rider_ printed neatly on the back, weeks after his "death." Weeks _before_ his death. Yassen turned from Alex on that rooftop, answering questions. telling Alex to go back to school, back to his life, and to stay out of his world. A world full of death and misery. Of cold hearts and revenge filled minds. A world where someone would stab you in the back with no hesitation to suit their own needs. Yet once Yassen got into the helicopter and started to fly away, he couldn't help it. He raised his hand in a salute, a promise to the young boy to protect him. He smiled when Alex returned the gesture.

Yassen kept a watch on Alex whenever he had time. Between assignments, sitting in the café across from Brookland, the gym next to Alex's dojo, the empty building across from Alex's house. When Yassen made a good amount of money, he would put some of it asidem sit down and hack into Alex's bank account and deposit a little money, little by little, and watch as Alex would go and by ice cream or books or a new case for his phone. A secret guardian for the young teen. If he had an extended time off, Yassen would fill in as a janitor. Watching from the side as Alex went after Skoda by himself, feeling conflicted as Alex would end up in his world naturally, no thanks to Ian, no thanks to the Rider blood pumping through his veins, but if he could soften the blow for the boy. Take him under his wing somehow. Protect him from those who would harm him for what he would do in the future or for what his ancestors have done in the past. Yassen never told his employers where he disappeared to for days at a time.

Yassen sat at his desk. A pen in hand, a sheet of paper in front of him, and Hunter's legacy on his mind. He could kidnap Alex, take him to Malagosto. Train Alex to be his protégé. Alex would fight it at first, that was to be expected after all Alex had told Yassen that he would kill him, but over time that would be trained out of him, and with Yassen's name attatched to the boy no one would touch him. That would be dragging Alex into his world, but dragging Alex in somewhere where he could give him protection, maybe extend the life expectancy.

_Hunter,_

_I apologise for killing Ian. I know you were his brother but... You know as well as I do that it was him or me, and when my employer looks at a situation there is no forgiveness, which is why I ask you for it now._

_ Alex is growing to be an amazing boy. He's grown so much since you sent me those baby pictures. He looks so much like you Hunter, he could have been your twin if he was a bit bigger. He's talented. He's fast, agile, multilingual, a skilled football player, and skilled with martial arts. He's getting into our world. A bit earlier than you and Helen would have wanted but he's good. He has your luck. He goes into situations that would tear up any other child his age and comes out of it as if nothing has happened. You Riders have always had a knack for that. Alex is being used to and going after the criminal underworld both voluntarily and unvoluntarily. I'm going to protect him. I'm going to protect him for you. I'm going to help him survive our world. While it may be on the opposite side your were on, but you even played for my side once. No one would go after him with my name attatched. I owe you so much and I can never fully repay you. Let this be the start. I'll treat him as my own flesh and blood._

_I'll see you in the next life._

_~Cossack_

Yassen sighed, letting his head drop. He reached out, crumpled the letter and tossed it into the fireplace. Sitting in silence as he watched it burn to ash, mixing with the hundred other letters he's written to Hunter.

* * *

The next time Yassen "accidentally" ran into Alex, as in his world there was no such things as accidents, was in a small corner of Southern France, Saint-Pierre. His current "employer" had asked him to make a journalist disappear, an Edward Pleasure, preferably the wife as well. He was free to leave the daughter dead or alive as long as she wouldn't stir up trouble. Of course once he got there an the boat who would he see but Alex Rider on the beach with the daughter. Yassen looked away as he felt Alex's eyes find and recognise him. Alex being there had just made his job that much more complicated.

_"We should do the job at night. Get them all at once."_

_"No, Franco. I do not kill children. Late afternoon the boy and girl go out into town while the parents stay behind. We strike then."  
_

_"How can you guarentee that the parents go with?"_

_"Trust me. As long as Raoul does his job then everything will be fine."_

_"Fine. Only because I've heard you're one of the best Gregorovich."_

Yassen saw Alex the same dayin town, spotting him once Yassen glanced over hearing an angry waiter scold "the clumsy, English tourist." Yassen stood, and started walking towards Alex, when his phone began to vibrate. Yassen ducked over closer towards where he saw Alex duck away, presumably to hide from him. Yassen finished the call and stood still, waiting for Alex to out himself. Yassen slipped away as a waiter swerved around him heading back to his table.

When Alex showed up on the yacht, Yassen was not surprised. What did surprise him was the fact that Alex held _his_ gun only a centimeter from his forehead. Yassen took in Alex's posture, the years shown in his eyes, the shaking hands. Yassen hesitated before telling Alex what would happen should Alex shoot him. When Alex demanded why Yassen blew up the house and if it was to kill him, Yassen almost laughed. He answered Alex vaguely as Raoul snuck up behind and swung Alex away, Yassen rolled off of the bed, narrowly avoiding the gunshot. When Raoul came to him wanting to kill Alex, Yassen convinced him otherwise. Yassen would at least give the boy a chance.

_"We should kill the boy now and end this."_

_"No Raoul. I do not kill children."_

_"We cannot let him go! That would end us immediately."_

_"The bullfights. Easy for us, gives the boy a chance, gives us time to get away."  
_

_"Fine. But you will take him there."_

After this encounter, Yassen did not expect to find Alex in Damian Cray's complex. When he and Cray were sitting across from Alex and his glass of choclate milk. Why Cary insisted on pouring chocolate millk for Alex, Yassen could never guess. But once Cray suggested torturing Alex, Yassen spoke up saying that Alex was not there for MI6 and MI6 knew nothing about them. When Cray spoke up about wanting to kill Alex, Yassen said that Cray did not need to kill Alex. Yassen knew sticking his neck out for Alex would bite him sooner or later but he had to protect Alex. For Hunter. For family. Yassen frowned while Alex was walked to the simulation. Yassen had seen the others who had gone into the simulation and seen the remains that had come out. Yassen would make sure Alex made out of this alive. He had made a promise. He would figure out how too once he left Cray.

That night when Yassen heard the alarms go off, he shut off his tape recorder, put his book down, and smiled. Alex had escaped. Hunter's luck had passed through the boys veins once again. Yassen decided he would save the boy from himself after this job was over. Train him like Hunter had trained Yasha. When he found himself being quenstioned about what happened by Cray. Aswering the "Why" with a noncommittal "because it's Alex." After Yassen calmed Cray down and fighting the urge to kill him, Yassen slowly left the room thinking_ I will protect him Hunter. I will protect our_ l'vionak. _Our baby lion._

When Yassen threatened Sabina, he felt no qualms until he glanced at Alex. Seeing the look in the young boys eyes. So similar to the look Hunter had given to Helen fourteen years ago. He couldn't cut her fingers off. Not with out bringing pain to the closest thing he had to family. So when Alex gave Cray the flashdrive, Yassen silently thanked the boy. Bravery was something that Yassen could see ran in abundance throughout the Rider bloodline. Something he wish he could have more of.

The last time Yassen saw Alex was on Air Force One, after being shot by Cray himself. Yassen looked at the boy he'd come to care and love as a son, though no one would ever know. His _l'vionak_. His baby lion. But Yassen did not tell Alex how he felt. Instead he told the Alex about Hunter, how they knew each other and to go to Venice. If he was lucky he would find shelter, protection. If he was unlucky, Yassen would see Alex on the other side. Yassen closed his eyes thinking about how, although he never told a soul. He had a family and a legacy.

_I'll see you in our next life. Goodbye, L'vionak._


End file.
